Pending the agreement upon a new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the National Football League’s Player’s Association and the owners, Buffalo Bills inside linebacker, Paul Posluszny, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent.

Drafted with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, Posluszny has been a leader and a playmaker on the Buffalo Bills defense, despite it’s struggles over the years.

“Poz” is a fan favorite and at just 26 years old, he is set for a big payday, especially considering the limited talent at the inside linebacker position in this offseason’s free agency class. Posluszny has recorded at least 110 tackles in his last three seasons, racking up 151 last year to go along with four forced fumbles. The Bills interestingly used their third round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft on Kelvin Sheppard, an inside linebacker out of Louisiana State to play alongside Posluszny in the 3-4 defensive front the Bills are transitioning to.

Buffalo’s front office and fans want Posluszny to return, and hopefully he feels the same, as losing him would create a huge hole in the middle of the defense that is still under construction. Aside from Posluszny and Sheppard, the only true inside linebackers on the Bills roster are veterans including Andra Davis and Akin Ayodele. Posluszny brings a high motor on every down, and makes up for his lack of size with incredible instincts and a knack for getting to the ball carrier. The Bills had the worst run defense in the entire National Football League last year, and losing Paul Posluszny would only cause that trend to continue.